Aria felt fresh and clean, she has managed to clean off all the grime that had accumulated and was out her clothes. There was a small bar of soap in the shower which she had used to scrub out most of the muck. Aria felt like herself a bit more, she felt like she had a bit more control of the whole situation even if she and her friends were still locked in an underground bunker.
It was over a week before the girls were let out again at the same time, they had all been let out separately once or twice mainly to fill up their jug once again with water so they didn't die of dehydration. After all, slowly dying wouldn't be any fun for their capture.
The doors buzzed opened and gradually the girls started to emerge from their bedrooms. The girls embraced, looking at each other waiting for the first person to speak.
"How have you managed?" Em spoke out, clutching the cast on her arm slightly. The look on her face making it seem like she was hardly holding on.
"What do you mean?" Aria asked confused, "You've been the one that's been getting three meals a day."
"I mean boredom wise," Emily quickly answered, she didn't know how Aria knew about her meal quantity. She thought to herself that it could have been A, trying to get the girls under each other's skin. Wanting then to turn on each other as it was unfair how they were being treated in comparison, "Wait, how many meals do you get a day?"
"One, if I am lucky," Aria replied avoiding direct eye contact, "I mean it's fine, it's only because of your arm after all. A can't play with a broken doll."
"I've been getting 2 a day, I think," Spencer quietly said.
Aria looked slightly hurt, after all, that had happened even though Spencer has a complete meltdown which had led to her being beaten she still had managed to get more food than the petite girl.
"Well, looks like someone is A's favourite then," Hanna tried to joke but the comment didn't even create a smile.
"I have my writing," Aria started to say, answering Emily's previous question about boredom.
"I've slept, a lot" Hanna answered, "Pretty sure I've caught up on all the sleep I have lost because of having to get up early for school."
"While I have been reading a lot," Spencer commented, "I've been given a few more books, the late birthday present I presume. I wonder if A would permit me to share some of them with you guys?"
"OMG, Happy belated birthday Spence, "Hanna nearly shouted in excitement, "I can't believe I forgot."
"It's fine Hanna, there was a lot happening," Spencer replied smiling slightly at the girl that had for a split moment forgotten that she was trapped, "Wait, Aria you're clean?"
The girls quickly all looked at Aria who stood there without the patches of grime that had clung to her skin before.
"Yeah, I finally was allowed to shower," Aria told," A reward for cooking A a meal. I presume it went down well."
"I'm pretty sure prisoners get more entertainment than I do," Emily moaned.
"Well, just tell that to Ali," Hanna retorted, "I'm pretty sure she is still locked up over Mona's murder."
"How did our lives become so complicated," Spencer asked letting put a big sigh after.
The girls stood there in silence, trying to remember back to the last time that their lives were normal.
"Does anyone know what the date is?" Hanna asked trying to break the silence.
"25th I think," Aria voiced. The petite brunette was only a day of the real date even though time was very distorted, "I've been keeping a tally."
"I could off have sworn It has been longer than that," Hanna joined in complexed about the predicament they had found themselves in.
"It's been about 11 days since the newspaper," Aria told counting the days on her fingers.
"11?" Spencer looked confused, "No, no, I swear It has only been a couple of days maybe 3 or 4 since that happened."
"Spence, have you been taking the pills?" Aria asked the clearly panicked girl as she realised Spencer hadn't been receiving more meals then both herself and Hanna but she just hadn't been awake for most of it.
"Yeah," Spencer replied as she tried to put together the pieces of what her friend was hinting.
"Any chance some of them were sleeping pills?" Aria questioned looking the girl in the face.
"I mean, they did, but look. I couldn't off have missed that many days out."
"Wait, who here hasn't been taking any pills?" Hanna asked looking quickly round at the girls.
Aria raised her hand slightly so it stood next to her head. Looking around she saw the rest of her friends whose hands were still hanging by their sides.
"So, I think we can presume Aria is probably the most correct with the dates," Hanna affirmed, "So that would make it the 25th. Which means Aria has been missing for about a month now, Spencer like 5 and half weeks. While Em and I have been missing, 18 days… Any the police still seem to have no clue where on earth we could be."
"Well that's great," Aria spoke, "I bet that isn't even correct, though, time gets really distorted when you are in isolation. It's such a horrible thing to use in prisons I'm sure there not meant to be trying to make them insane."
"How long do you think A will let us out for?" Emily questioned, the hours alone with nothing to do had started to drive her crazy and she longed for someone she could do to keep her mind busy so it wouldn't just turn to mush.
"I'm not sure," Spencer spoke giving Emily a little shoulder squeeze, "probably just long enough so we all don't go crazy from all the isolation."
"Want to have a game of cards then, I really need something to get my brain going," Emily supposed, "It's almost sad about how much I'm missing school."
"God, I'm going to have so much to catch up on when we get out of here," Aria moaned.
"If we ever get out..." Spencer whispered under her breathe.
"Let me just get my jug and fill it up with water," Hanna commented, "I'm nearly out."
"Actually, Han. Could you fill it up and bring it to the games room in case we get thirsty while we are there."
Hanna quickly fetched the near empty mug from her duplicate bedroom and filled it up with the drinkable water in the kitchen. The girls then proceeded towards the games room.
Opening the door, the hanging light flickered on.
"Saving electricity while we aren't here it seems," Aria noticed.
"Well just think how much an underground bunker would charge on an electric bill if all the lights were on at all times." Spencer pointed out.
The new light illuminated the table which had a large rectangular box sitting on it.
Cautiously the girls approached wondering what the new item could be.
"It's monopoly," Emily excitedly announced.
"Take it we are going to be let out for quite a while then," Spencer announced almost cheering up as she realised that meant she could waste the time away together as friends instead of being drugged and dreaming through most of it, "I dib the top hat."